Army Officer convicted of sexual harassment and assault . Allowed to keep full retirement pension.

Col. Michael Robertson – a Fort Bliss officer with nearly 40 years of service and commanded the 31st Combat Support Hospital in Afghanistan, will only spend three months in military prison after he was convicted today of sexual harassment and assault; a punishment that most find to be a slap in the face for sexual assault survivors. Upon the end of his prison term Col. Robertson will be able to retire and keep his full taxpayer funded pension.

I experienced sexual assault by two chaplains and a counselor. I also experienced sexual harrassment by my boss, a MSgt. I worked in the chapel as a chaplain assissment. Myself and another airmen reported this harrassment to legal department. She was moved to supply, while I remained there through out the investigation under my boss. I was harrassed by co workers and chaplains. I felt like I did something wrong, that I was the bad guy. While this was going on I was getting ready to cross trained into social actions. When I was getting ready to leave the chapel, the head priest, a full bird another priest called me in to the office and told me that I needed to drop the charges against my boss, saying that since I would no longer work under him, I needed to recant my statement. I told them that I would not drop the charges. The full bird colonel was very angry. So, he made life miserable. My boss ended up being found guilty, but the commander was the one who decided what happens to my boss. He received no punishment, and was allowed to retire. I suffer from ptsd due to these experiences. People ask me why i did not report the assaults. I answer, the perp is protected, while the victim is not. It does not do any good to report any of them, your life in the military would be pure h–l.

After pressing sexual assault charges against two NCOs, I was informed that they could not kick the perpetrators out of the military because they had over 18 years of service, which put them in a protected category. One retired peacefully at 20 years, the other works for the Pentagon last I knew. Justice? I think not.